Bagels9000 wrote:Ive been in some shitty situations but never cut my lines.

I've never cut my own either, but I want to be able to if need be. What happens when you get tumbled in a wave for so long you don't know which way is up? With all your gear in tip top shape you could still find yourself mummified in kite lines.

and you honestly believe in that gruesum of a situation, a hook knife would get you out before the kite powers up and cuts your damn self up
i dont think so sir. mummified implies your "tied up"

Bagels9000 wrote:and you honestly believe in that gruesum of a situation, a hook knife would get you out before the kite powers up and cuts your damn self up
i dont think so sir. mummified implies your "tied up"

O.K. I think I see what you're saying... there are only two situations:

1) Everything's fine - no need for a knife
2) Everything is bunged up so far a knife won't help.

So our paths are clear then. I'll continue to carry two knifes for myself and others - because I don't know any better. And you'll carry none, because it's pointless anyway.

[quote="schmoe"]Thanks for all that info. The dakine knife was on my todo list, not anymore.

A few questions:
The double hook knives that you link too are 16CM long. Where do you put it?

Are those knives safe enough not to cut your fingers?

...........................

Schmoe,

Good questions.

Here is what a poster said in 2005, ...and, I am in agreement with these suggestions (except for the Dakine single bladed knife):

ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œOver the years, I have tried carrying a kite hook knife in about 6 different places. Here are my first and second choices:

FIRST: Back of helmet...carve out a slot in the foam at the very back of the helmet, and contact cement a little piece of velcrox onto one side of the slot. Sew a little piece of the opposite (Hook Vs. Loops) onto the little hook knife (Dakine works best, for the knife and Ace Protec for the helmet)so only the curved handle piece is visible and the velcrox is stuck together, holding it lightly in place.

You can get at the handle with either hand....quickly since your hand is already on your forehead giving yourself a dope-slap!!!

SECOND: Contact cement or sew a little upsiddown pouch on your wetsuit or life jacket, using the velcrox idea also. It is where parachutists and EMTs carry their hook knifes and sissors. ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œ

Here are a list of links pertaining to kite knives and their value, use and various locations in which to carry them. You will have to make up your mind, after considering this volume of information and opinion. Good luck!

To answer your second question about cutting a finger on a hook knife, here is a picture of the knives, I have been working with. Guess which one would cut your finger.....good guess if you said the big red one!! But that is not the only reason to reject that particular knife. Despite the "that oughta do er" look of the knife, I have found that it doesn't cut very well. I will discuss more about the serrated edge style knives, if I continue with my study and decide to present the data and results. At this point I don't want to slam any particular product, because there are many points to consider, in selecting the proper knife for a particular kiters needs. A possible "pro" to help balance the "cons" of this style knife, is that: it may cut the thicker power line spectra better than any of the others...but I have rejected this knife for my use.

In 5 years I have needed a knife 3 times, twice for myself and once for another guy,

The first time was for another kiter I was sailing with who was using a single skin C Quad kite , he dropped it in deep water and the kite sank as did his lines and as he started to swim in he got into bad trouble with the lines around his legs,
I did not have a knife and neither did he, he was very lucky to get ashore with me dragging him along, he smoked 10 cigarettes within 5 mins after that,

The second time was when I was launched into a sea wall badly breaking my leg,( bone sticking out) I was lucky as I was then thrown under the railing with my bar still in hand but the kite was still flying and looping, the lines were caught around the railings and I was able to prevent the kite dragging me over the railings and into the houses by winding my body around the railing post,
Dave my sailing buddy ran over and was at a loss as it was all very scary with my 8 mtr c kite was thrashing around in 35 mph and jerking me around, I told dave to get my hook knife from the rear of my harness, there was no way I could reach it, it was the cheap single blade type and my lines were standard yellow Q lines, he had a terrible few mins trying to cut all four lines, he ended up sawing sideways to fray the surface of the lines, and then hacking away like mad to get through the lines, he did, but it took ages

The 3rd time was when I was caught in a double kite tangle and the other kiter released his kite and all the lines wrapped around my bar and harness hook, ruddy hell two kites looping me up a very long beach, I lay on my belly and went on a very fast bumpy ride,

There was no way I could get to my knife in my impact vest chest pocket, then both kites suddenly stopped and sat on their edges bouncing and ready to go again, I had hold of the main tangle in both hands and was pressing the lines into the sand, any movement would have them off looping again, a land kiter had watched me being dragged and had jumped in his 4x4 and raced over and grabbed the kites,

I did not get the chance to use my knife, but if I had then any sort of small hook knife would have been a risk, I needed to cut a mass of lines and the depower lines would have been first to be cut away, the tangle was bad and the other kite bar was looped inside my own, with his depower rope wrapped around my harness hook,

Expensive @ $50, but priceless if you ever need it (and I *really* like my fingers, plus my own approach is to never quibble when buying safety gear).

I keep mine on the left shoulder of my impact vest (I'm right-handed); quick pull and it's ready to go. I've seen at least two guys lose part of their fingers and one very close call....that was enough for me.

high123 wrote:
What really helps in salt water is to cover the blades with a thick layer of high viscosity grease. Then wrap one layer of very thin plastic wrap/food wrap around it so you don't create a mess when you put the knife into the pouch.

gonewiththewind wrote:

high123 wrote:FYI ... I used winch grease.

Is that some kind of sexual thing?

Nope. It's the stuff that sailors use to service sailboat winches, it's obviously made for saltwater applications.